SHOP workers’ union Usdaw called yesterday for everyone who values their Sundays to reject the government’s trading law changes.

Under new proposals laid out in a consultation paper, local authority chiefs in England and Wales are to be given the power to relax laws restricting the Sunday opening hours of shops of over 3,000 sq ft (280m2) to only six hours.

“The proposal to devolve trading hours to elected mayors and local authorities would create chaos in the retail sector,” said Usdaw general secretary John Hannett, “tying up business in red tape as they try to operate under different regulatory regimes in every area of the country.

“The Sunday Trading Act is a great British compromise, which has worked well for over 20 years and gives everyone a little bit of what they want. Retailers can trade, customers can shop, staff can work, while Sunday remains a special day, different to other days, and shopworkers can spend some time with their family.”